With the probable departure of Lionel Messi and the questions around Neymar, injured, who could not finish the season, "Kyk's" will find himself even more at the center of the next PSG.

For this season, he only has the title of top scorer to conquer, his fifth crown in a row, to join the legend Jean-Pierre Papin, king of gunners from 1988 to 1992. He is still ahead of Alexandre Lacazette, with 28 goals against 27.

But this will not quench his thirst, his mouth already dried up from his terrible World Cup final, in both senses of the word: a historic hat-trick, but a penalty shootout defeat against Argentina (3-3, 4 t.a.b. to 2).

His season has been eventful, crossed by many controversies, the "penaltygate" with Neymar, the campaign of resubscription with his club, with the FFF (French Federation) for image rights ...

And the essential pepper was exhausted a little early, on March 8, with a dry elimination in Munich (2-0, 1-0 in the first leg) in the 1/8 final.

"That's what we can do"

Mbappe remained bitter. "As I said at my first Champions League press conference this season, we were going to do our best. Our maximum, that's it, it's the truth," he said in the mixed zone after the match.

There was a subtext to this remark, as Mbappe added in the bowels of the Allianz Arena: "They have a great squad, built to win the Champions League"

Kylian Mbappé in Strasbourg on May 27, 2023 © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP

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That of PSG did not compete. The recruitment of Luis Campos, the football advisor, whom Mbappé helped bring to PSG, after working with him in Monaco, was not enough to support the 2018 world champion, and the "MNM" Mbappé, Neymar, Messi did not have the expected taste, in two years in France.

This time, at 24 years old, the new captain of the France team, and one of the vice-captains of PSG, will officially be the number one attraction, especially if "Ney" also leaves.

But it will be necessary to sign stronger players than Fabian Ruiz, Carlos Soler or Vitinha, generally disappointing recruits, and find in attack a stronger N.2 than Hugo Ekitike, who has not managed to integrate. Against Ajaccio (5-0), for example, Mbappé was even annoyed several times by the bad choices of his partner.

"Kyky" is under contract for another season, with another as an option, to be lifted at his discretion, according to several media reports.

"I am Parisian"

"I'm a Parisian," he regularly answers questions about his future. He even joked, smiling: "If I linked my future to the Champions League I would have gone very far, and I do not disrespect the club."

Mbappé still has records to conquer, after his sixth league title, including the one with Monaco in 2017.

He will try to take as far as possible that of goals at PSG, he has exceeded this season the 200 scored by Edinson Cavani. It is at 211.

His 201st goal, or that of the victory in Marseille (3-0) this season remain "moments that will make history, each footballer plays not to be forgotten, with that I think I will be remembered here," he said.

He also hopes to wear the blue jersey at the Paris Olympics, "it's a childhood dream", and he "spoke about it in the contours of the contract with" Paris Saint-Germain when he negotiated to extend until 2024.

It is hardly compatible with its overloaded calendar, between Euro-2024, whose final is played on July 14, and the resumption of championships, whether it is still in Ligue 1 or elsewhere.

He also dreams of the Ballon d'Or, which Messi has already brought to Paris in 2021. "It's always a goal for players in my category," said Mbappe, already looking to tomorrow.

© 2023 AFP